Driving mechanism for washing machines



C. C. LAMB.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-19I9I9.

Patented. July 25, 1922.

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CHARLES C. LAMB, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOR F ONE-HALF TO WILLARD M.

' MCEWEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Maasai.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July25, 1922.

Application filed November 19, 1919. Serial No. 339,170.

To all who/m, t may concmm:

Be it known that l'` CHARLES LAMB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in thecounty of Uook and State of illinois, have invented new and useful lmprovements in Driving Mechanisms 'for Washing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

rl`his invention relates to washing machines of the type particularly adapted for domestic use, and consists in the matters hereinafter described and' mo-re particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 is a side view of a washing machine constructed in accordance with my invention' Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig, 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fic'. 4 is a side View of the spooled gear wheels and interposed grooved pulley for turning the basket about a vertical axis;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the chain for turning the basket; and

F ig. 6 is a'diagrammatic view of the chain and spooled gear in mesh therewith.

The .washing machine of my invention has a supporting base or stand 1 preferably in the form of -a table, having four legs 2 secured to the corners of an .open top frame 3. Mounted above the stand 1 are two containers 4, 5, one within the other and preferably circularin shape and with dat bottom walls. The container 4 constitutes the outer tub of the machine and is held stationary and made larger than the inner container 5, which is mounted to turn on a vertical axis. rlhere is a space between the walls-of said containers., and the wallo-f the inner one is perforated so that the'pinner container constitutes a basket and' may be used as acentritugal wringer when rotatedin one,l direction and at a rapid speed. The tops of the containers are open to permit the garments toybe washed to be inserted in the basket 5, the cover 6 ofthe tub 5 being ed at that time.

yI" or washing clothes the'basket is oscillatedback and forth Ion a vertical axis, by means constructed as follows: The trame -3 'is provided with a cross-bar 7. to the under side of which is secured a. substantiall l U- shaped bracket 8 arranged centrally o the tom wall ol" the outer tubl 4 is a. journal box 9, which seats on the cross-bar 7 above the bracket 8 for supportin g the tub on the stand 1. Said box 9 is removably connected with the cross-bar 7 by bolts 1() having clamp nuts 11 to permit the tub 4 to be removed from the stand when desired. To the center of the bottom wall of the basket 5 is secured a depending shaft 12, which extends downward through the bottom wall of the tub 5 and the box 9 as well as through the cross-bar 7, as shown in Fig. 3. The lower end 13 of the shaft 12 is reduced and made square -to enter a complementary shaped bore in a sleeve 14 located in the bracket 8. Said sleeve 14 is provided with upper and lower gear wheels 15, 16 and an interposed grooved pulley or sheave 17, all made rigid with the sleeve, that is, they are spoolcd together to rotate in unison and at the same speed. Resting on the bracket 8 is a bearing plate 18 supporting bearing balls 19 for the gear member and provided with an u right stud 20 extending into the bore of tie gear member. By lifting the basket 5 upward, it may be removed from the stand 1 and the outer tub 4, the shaft 12 being withdrawn rointhe gear member 14 and the box 9. The stud 2O holds the gear member in place to receive the squared end of the shaft 12 when the basket 5 is replaced. By the construction described, the tub 4 and basket 5 may be taken od of the stand 1 and the latter used as a table, if desired.

Secured between the legs 2 below the frame 3 is a fiat' plate or shelt` 21, upon which is supported an electric motor 22 arranged with its armature shaft 23'horizontal. Loosely mounted on said shaft is a sleeve 24 journaled in upright standards 25 secured to the shelf 21. The portion of the sleeve between said. standards is provided with a worm 26 in mesh with a worm wheel 27 above the same and mounted on a horizontal shaft 28 at the upper ends of upri ht standards 29 secured to said shelf 21. ne end of the sleeve 24 is provided with a xed clutch member 30 to be engaged by a clutch member 31 splined on the armature shaft 23. The clutch member 31 may :be shifted into and out of clutch with the other member 30 by a oke 32 formin part of the manually opera le lever 33 tu orumed at 34 on the frame 3, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The shiftable clutch member 31 is provided with abeveled gear 35 to bc moved into and out ot` mesh with a beveled gear 36 at the lower end of a. shaft 37. rilhe latter is supported and journaled at its lower end in a standard 38 secured to the shelf 21 and at its upper end in a bracket 39 secured to the frame 3 and extending .inward therefrom, as shown in Fig. 2. At the upper end of said shaft 37 is a grooved pulley 40 in the horizontal plane of the pulley 17 and connecte-d therewith by a belt or cable 41, as shown in said Fig. 2.

To the short shaft 28 is secured a sprocket wheel 42 (F ig. 3), over which is trained a sprocket chain 43. The latter is trained over :i sprocket wheel 44 on a shaft 45, horizontally arranged and supported in brackets 4G on the frame 3. At the opposite side of the frame is a like shaft 45, parallel to the opposite shaft and supported in like brackets 46. Splined on each shaft 45 is a sprocket wheel 47. Said sprocket wheels 47 are in alignment and are engaged by a sprocket chain 48 having, along one side thereof, rack teeth or spaced projections 49, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. These are designed to mesh alternately with the teeth on the upper and lower gear wheels 15 and 16. The teeth 49 do not extend completely around the chain, but stop at suoli a point that after the last tooth has left the upper gear wheel 15, the first tooth is then on the lower lap of the chain and has become meshed with the teeth on the lower gear wheel 16. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the chain 48 and spooled gear 14 and shows that the teeth 49 extend only part way around the chain to accomplish the object just stated.. Thus, the basket 5 is oscillated about a vertical axis, iirst in one direction and then in the opposite direction as the chain 48 is operated by the motor 22. B v such construction, the operating parts are rotated continuously in one -direction and an oscillation imparted t0 the basket 5. This is due to the Jfact that the teeth on the chain 48 alternately engage the upper and lower gear wheels 15, 16 and do not engage said gear wheels both at the same time. Manifestly, when the teeth engage the upper `ear wheel, the basket 5 is turned in one direction, and then when the teeth leave the upper gear wheel and engage the lower a one, the rotation ofthe basket is reversed,

without being required to manipulate manuallv or otherwise any clutch parts to effeet this. By oscillating the basket 5, thel agitation of the water and garments is sufticient to wash the latter.

When ready for wringing, the clothes are left in the basket 5, and the water .drained ofi' from the tub through a cock (not shown). The chain 48. is then thrown out. of 4the nicslrwith the gear. .wheels 15,16, sc ,that

the basket 5 may be rotated rapidly and in one direction by the motor 22. To do this, I provide the sprocket wheels 47 with grooved hubs 51 engaged by yokes 52 on a shiitt bar Said bar is moved in one direction by springs 54, and in the opposite direction by a cam'plate 55 at the inner end of the hand lever 33 and operating against. a stud or pin 5G attached `to the bar 53, as shown in ig. 2. When the main lever 33 is moved to throw out the chain 48, the clutch member 31 is released'from the worm 26 to cut ofi power to the gear wheels 15, 16. The clutch member 31 is, however, shifted to mesh with the beveled gears 35 and 36, so that the motor will rotate the basket 5 in one direction 'for wringing and rinsing purposes.

Any suitablemeansmay beprovided forholding the lever 33 from being moved accidentally `out oi any of its operative positions.. Such means may be in the form of a lug -on the lever and a number of sockets orrecesses on the part-0f the stand 1 over which the lever is moved. When the lever is in its lowest position, the motor oscillates the basket 5. When the lever has been moved to its uppermost position, the machine is used for wringing purposes. Vhen 'the lever is in its intermediate position, both of the washing and wringingr mechanisms are inoperative. this time, the clutchmember 31 is out of engagement with the worm 26 and 'the beveled gear wheel 36.

The machine constructed as described and shown is portable, compact, and easily operated. Only one lever is required to change from washer to wringer. The tub 4 and basket 5 may both be readily and easily removed for cleansing or for such other purposes as desired. The centrifugal wringer is an advantage, as the garments need not be removed from the tub for wringing purposes, and, further, the wringing may be operated until the clothes aresubstantially dry and all water removed therefrom. Other end further advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention applies.

While I have shown. and described in detail a washing machine embodying the features of my invention, it is to be of course understood that the details of construction and arrangement of parts shown and described may be variously changed and moditied without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

l claim as my invention:

1. In a gearing of the character described, the combination of a support, an .upright operating rshaft rotatably mountedin said support, two toothed wheels and a pulley fixed to said shaft, an endless chain having teeth part way around the-same for altermately-engaging said wheels for oscillating 11110 said shaft, a motor on said support for driving said chain and pulley in one direction, and a clutch mechanism for connecting either the chain or the pulley with said moton 2. ln a gearing `of the character described, the combination of a support having a crossbar, an upright operating shaft rotatably mounted in said cross-bar, a bracket secured to said cross-bar, a sleeve rotatably mounted between said bracket and cross-bar and receiving the lower end of shaft, two toothed wheels and a pulley fixed on said sleeve, an endless chain provided with rack 1E. teeth part way around the same for alternately engaging said wheeis, a motor on said support for driving said chain and said pulley in one direction, and a clutch mechani'sm for connecting either said pulley or said chain with said motor.

3. In a gearing of the character described, the combination of a support, an upright rraperating shaft rotatably morn-ted en said support, two toothed wheels and a pulley fixed on said shaft, two parallel shaftsjournaled on said support, a sprocket wheel splined on each of said shafts, a sprocket chain engaging said sprocket wheels and having rack teeth part way around one side thereof for alternately engaging said toothed wheels, a motor on said support for driving said chain and said pulley in one direction, a clutch member mounted on the armature shaft of said motor, means for connecting either the chain or pulley thereto, a shift bar connected with said sprocket wheels for moving the chain out of engagement with said toothed wheels, and asingle operating and having rack teeth part way around on one side thereof' for alternately engaging said toothed wheels for oscillating said operating shaft, a motor on said support, a worm wheel on said support, a worm on the the armature shaft of said motor and meshing with said worm wheel, a sprocket chain connecting said worm wheel with one of said parallel shafts, a beveled gear having power transmitting connection with said pulley, a clutch member splined on said armature shaft between said beveled gear and said worm and adapted to be shifted into engagement with either, a shift bar connected with said sprocket wheels for moving the chain out of engagement with said toothed wheels, a single manually operable lever pivoted on the support and having one end connected with said clutch member, and coacting means between said lever and said shift bar for moving the latter when the lever is moved for connecting the pulley with said motor.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I aiiiX my signature, this 15th day' of November, A; D. 1919.

CHARLES C. LAMB. 

